The League of Illinois Bicyclists and the DuPage County Health Department’s FORWARD Coalition are pleased to announce the winners of the DuPage Bicycle Safety Challenge. LIB received funding from the DuPage County Health Department’s FORWARD Coalition to award a total of $2,500 to county schools with high participation in our new www.bikesafetyquiz.com resource.

“The bike safety quiz is a wonderful resource for schools, community groups, driver’s education programs and anyone seeking education on bike safety,” DuPage County Health Department FORWARD coordinator Becky McFarland said. “Increasing a child’s knowledge of bike safety will make riding more enjoyable for kids and parents alike.”

Western Trails School, in Carol Stream, won first place in the challenge. The school will receive $1,200. “The students of Western Trails School loved using computers to learn about bicycle safety atwww.bikesafetyquiz.com! The quiz was so motivating, informative and personalized,” Western Trail School teacher Lori DeLaurie said. “As a P.E. teacher, it was a great way for me to be able to integrate technology and meet one of my learning standards at the same time.”

Cowlishaw School, in Naperville, received second place honors and $800.

Bower School, in Warrenville, received third place and $500. “My class really enjoyed taking the quizzes and discussing the topic. I did too,” Bower School fifth grade teacher Marissa Tiburtini said. “We have many students who regularly bike to school so this was a helpful tool for them that was easy to use and navigate.”

The child bicyclist quiz at www.bikesafetyquiz.com consists of 25 Secretary of State-approved multiple-choice questions covering safety techniques and bicycle laws. The learning comes from short explanations tailored to a student’s right or wrong response. Teachers do not need training in the subject matter to use the lesson, which meets Illinois Learning Standard 19C. LIB created this tool to help close a public educational gap that increases in priority as more people bike for transportation and recreation. FORWARD and its “Get in the Action” grant partners recognize that bike safety knowledge can lead to an increase in physical activity, which makes kids better learners.